Introduction

The following post updates our recommendations for platforms, operating systems and browsers to use when testing commercial web sites targeting consumers in Europe.

Our recommendations are based on usage figures widely available on the Internet, our experience and analysis of client needs. Since browser versions change frequently, we review and update these recommendations regularly.

Assumptions

Each new version cannibalises the market share of previous versions within three months.

Significant differences in web page display between versions are few and far between.

List of latest stable releases

Desktop browsers

Windows 7: Microsoft Internet Explorer (MS-IE) 11

Windows 8.1: Microsoft Internet Explorer (MS-IE) 11

Windows 10: Microsoft Edge 25

Chrome 51

Firefox (FF) 47

OS/X 10.9 Mavericks: Safari 9

OS/X 10.10 Yosemite: Safari 9

OS/X 10.11 El Capitan: Safari 9

Mobile and tablet browsers

Android 6.0 Marshmallow

iOS 9

Recommendations

General

Invest in the future, not the past. Focus project time and effort on optimising web sites for the next 6-9 months while making sure that popular older combinations are still viewable.

Use a range of mainstream devices to ensure coverage of most regular users everyday experience.

Avoid testing with specific minor releases unless there are compelling reasons to do so. Here’s an example of a compelling reason: a third-party augmented reality (AR) component is known to work with Safari 9.0.1 but not with Safari 9.0.2.

Do not invest in an operating system / browser combination if support is discontinued by the manufacturer. E.g. Google Chrome on Windows XP from April 2016.

Do not support beta-release operating systems and browsers. Allow new versions time to stabilise, be released and become mainstream first. We define ‘mainstream’ as above 5% market share.

Other mobile and tablet platform recommendations

Consider testing with Chrome browser (latest release) if not native.

Consider testing on all platforms with Yandex Browser if targeting Russia.

Do not test with Firefox, Opera or any other non-native third-party mobile browser variants on any mobile or tablet platform. Market penetration is not significant. Exception: Consider testing with UC Browser and Opera Mini/Mobile browsers if targeting Asia.

Consider testing with Windows 10 Mobile only if penetration is significant in your target market.

1./ It is our understanding the Apple support OS/X 10.9, 10 & 11, so these are on our list. We agree that OS/X 10.9 is fading away fast. We will probably drop the recommendation to use it next quarter.

2./ We have some Linux fans in-house, but there is no interest from our client-base. It has extremely low usage in the market segments in which we operate. Long story short: nobody will pay us to test with it so we don’t.